Apparatus for treating articles



Jan.' 28, 1936. T Q BIETH Y 2,028,861

A APPARATUS P OR TREATING ARTICLES Filed Jan. l5, 1933 INVENTOR 2m Ma@ Patented Jan. 28, 1936 UNITED STATES 2,028,861 APPARATUS FOB TREATING ARTICLES Tom Conrad Bith, Alsten, Sweden, assigner to Electrolux Corporation, Dover, Del., a corporation of Delaware Application January 5, 1933, Serial No. 650,303

In Germany April 12, 1932 8 Claims. (Cl. 285-30) A The present invention relates to such matters as demothing fabric materials, such as clothes. By demothing is meant treatment, for example, with the gas of para-dichlorobenzol or paradibromobenzol, to protect against moths. The invention also relates to disinfecting or perfuming or other treatment of articles wherein a gas such as air laden with the vapor of an insecticide or perfume is used. The invention also relates to vacuum cleaners adapted for blowing action and having means for creating a vapor of the kind indicated. Furthermore, the invention relates Ito coupling means for connecting a gas conduit to a container.

It has been proposed to introduce into a container such as a garment bag a gas for treating articles. This is disclosed, for example, in U. S. Pat. No. 1,119,986, to Pleger.l Previous arrangements of this sort have required a special connection. It is one of the objects of the invention to provide apparatus whereby an ordinary garment bag or other receptacle can be usedfor the piurpose indicated without structural modica- .The invention will be readily understood by reference to the accompanying description of the embodiments thereof shown in the accompanying'drawing and herein described, said drawing forming a part of this specification, and of which:

t. Fig. 1 is an assembly View showing the invenion;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view of part of the arrange-A ment of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing a different relative disposition of the parts and showing more ofthe entire structure;

Fig. 4 shows another form of coupling in acn cordance with the invention; and

Fig. 5 is an elevational view, partly broken away, of part of the arrangement of Fig. 1.

Reference character I0 designates a garment bag, which may be of any of various types of construction. For example, the garment bag may be made of rubberized cloth. In the side wall of the garment bag is an elongated opening II through which clothes or the like may be inserted into the bag. The bag is provided with a hook I2 for hanging it up as in a closet. The opening Il is closed by a sliding member I3, as shown in Fig. 5, prongs I4 being provided in the wall portions adjacent the opening, which prongs are hooked togethe:` by means of the sliding member I3. This type of fastening means is generally known by the term zipper and may be called a 55 slide fastener. The invention is not limited to the use of a slide fastener closure, but thewall portions adjacent the opening may, for example, be brought together and the opening closedby means of snap fasteners or hooks and eyes. Means should be provided to permit gas to leave 5 the bag I0. The slide fastener is advantageous for this purpose since it does not constitute an absolutely tight closure. It a tight closure is used, an opening should be provided for the escape oi gas. 10

A coupling I5 holds 'a conduit I S in opening II. Conduit I6 may be a tube of a vacuum cleaner. Connected to conduit I6 is the ordinary air hose I1 oi a vacuum cleaner. The air hose is connected to a vaporizer I8 arranged at 15 5 the outlet end of the casing I9 oi a vacuum cleaner unit. The casing I9 encloses a fan 2|) and a motor 2| for driving the fan. Air is vdrawn through the vacuum cleaner unit and passes through the vaporizer I8 and thence through the 20 hose I1 and conduit I6 into the bag Ill. The vaporizer I8 contains a substance adapted to diffuse into air and form the gas'to be introduced into the bag I0 for treating articles therein. For example, vaporizer I8 may contain crystals of 25 para-dichlorobenzol or para-dibromobenzol. If the crystals of this substance are used, the vaporizer may be provided with a screen 22 for preventing .entrance of crystals into the hose I1 and is preferably provided with means such as vanes 30 23 for causing the -air to whirl and thus stir up the crystals in the vaporizer. Alternatively to the construction shown, a vaporizer may be used as shown in U. S. Pat. No. 1,842,900, granted January 26, 1932. 35

The coupling I5 comprises la member 25 having a central passage or bore 26 adapted to fit onto the conduit I 6. The end of conduit I6 may be tapered and the bore 26 of member 25 likewise tapered. A disc-shaped flange 21 projects out- 40 Wardly from the central portion of member 25. The coupling I5 includes a second part 28, which has a central ring-shaped hub portion 'and an outwardly projecting disc-shaped flange 29. Member 25 has a shoulder 30 against which the 45 hub portion of part 28 abuts so that the hub portion of part 28 cannot be placed closer to the ilange 21 than a given distance, thus providing a space 3| between them. Flange 29 is dished and has an outer bead 32. The flange is made v50 of resilient material, such as rubber. If the iiange 29 is in the position shown in Fig. 2, by pressing the bead 32 to the right, as shown, the flange can snap past a position which is essentially perpendicular to the axis of conduit I6 55 and snap toward ange 21 so that if'there is nothing in the space 3| the flanges 29 and 21 will rest against each other at their outer parts.' The bead 32may be grasped by the fingers and the ange 29 snapped back' again out of contact with flange 21. The flange 21 is preferably made of stift" material and the whole member 25 may, if

desired, be made of some such material as bakelite or other phenol condensation product or ordinary metal orof'wood. It is possible, however, to make the fiange 21 resilient. The whole part 2'5 maylikewise be made of rubber so that both fianges can be snapped to one side or the4 other of a plane essentially` perpendicular to' 21 and 29. The flange 29 is then snapped toward the flange 2 1 and thus the wall portions-of the receptacle Aadjacent the elongated opening and the sliding member I3 are held in the space 3l pressed between the flanges 29 and 21. Thus the conduit I6 is firmly held in the opening II and in position to discharge vapor-laden air or other gas into the receptacle. It will be seen that the flanges lock the lsliding member between them. It will be seen that no special connection is necessary in the receptacle for introducing gas thereinto.

To uncouple the assembly, the ngers can readilybe worked under or grasp flange 29 and this flange snapped loose from the wall of the receptacle, whereupon'the sliding member I3 can be raised and the coupling removed.

In the modification shown in Fig. 4, the flexible flange 29 is made integral with thecentral part of the coupling which is adjacent the hose. Furthermore, the interior of this central part is formed with various diameters, as indicated at 33, to accommodate diirerent sizes of hose. A

shoulder 34 is provided for fixing the position of the flanged parts relative to each other.

Whatis' claimed is:

1. In a device of the character set forth, a coupling comprising a body portion' and a plurality of' flanges on said body-portion, one of -said flanges being dished and resilient and adapted to snap into contact withy the other of said flanges, said flanges providing a space between them. i

2. In a device of the character set forth, a coupling comprising 'a body portion and a plurality of anges on said body portion, one of said anges being dished and resilient and havingv an outer bead and adapted to snap into contact with the other of said flanges', said flanges providing a space between them.

3. In a device of the character set forth, acoupling comprising a first part having a hub portion and a circular flange thereon, a second part having a hub portion mounted on the firstmentioned hub portion and a' circular resilient flange extending from the second-mentioned hub portion, said resilient flange being adapted to be snapped into and out of contact with the firstmentioned flange.

4;. In a device of-the character set forth, a

vcoupling comprising a first part having a hub portion'and a circular fiange thereon, a second part having a hub portion mounted on the first.- mentioned hub portion and a circular resilient fiange extending from the second-mentioned hub portion, said resilient ange being dished and adapted to be snapped into and out of contact with the first-mentioned flange.

5. In a device of the character set forth, a coupling comprising a first part having a hub portion and a circular ange thereon, a second part having a hub portion mounted on the rstmentioned hub portion and a circular resilient flange extending from the second-mentioned hubk portion, said resilient flange being dished and formed with an outer bead and adapted to be snapped into and out of contact with the rstmentioned flange.

6. In a device of the character set forth, a coupling comprising a flrst part having a hub portion and a circular ange thereon, a second part having a hub portion mounted on the firstmentioned hub portion, a circular flange extending from the second-mentioned hub Dortion, one of said flanges being resilient and adapted to be snapped into and out of contact with the other flange. i

7. In a device of the character set forth, a

' coupling comprising a first part having a hub vportion and a circular ange thereon, a second part having a hub portion mounted on the firstmentioned hub portion, a circular flange extending from the second-mentioned hub portion, one

of said flanges being resilient and the otherv beingl rigid, said resilient flange being adapted to be snapped into and out of contact with said rigid flange. n

8. In a device of the character Aset forth, a coupling comprising a rst part having a hub portion and a circular flange thereon, a second part having a hub portion mounted on the rst-A mentioned hub portion, a circular angeextending from the second-mentioned hub portion, one of said flanges being resilient and dished and formed with an outer bead, the other flange being rigid, and said resilient fiange being adapted t0 be snapped into and out of contact with said rigid ange.

. TOM CONRAD BI'IH. 

